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What a romantic story! Yes, when sport career contradicts with love, it’s hard to make a choice. Arielle Martin and her husband, Michael Verhaaren, are such an example. Verhaaren’s appearance in Martin’s life brought her not only magic but also dilemma. Their dating and her training for the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games didn’t reconcile well. She broke up with him first but managed to keep their relationship prosperous after seeing him again. They engaged and married. When she was going to compete for her qualification for the Games, she got hurt and it was rather serious. On the verge to quit, she made up her mind to hold on. She took an operation and returned to her favorite bike six months later. She knew her dream should never end at that point and her husband’s military dream was just at the beginning.
Their departing time came. He went to Afghanistan for a year deployment and she got enough time for her preparation for the Games. Now they talk every day, telling each other’s separate life and they plan to go for a vacation after the Games when Verhaaren has weeks’ leave.
That is life, too. When you are really brave to take on impossibility, you may find that it is not impossibility at all and it blossoms like a spring flower, not mention just difficulty. Martin made the right decision to not shrink from dilemma, so finally she harvest both love and great career.

When everybody’s eyes are focusing on the 29th Beijing Olympic Games, please don’t forget the upcoming 13th Beijing Paralympics. There is 129 days to go. From Stoke Mandeville competition to Paralympics, disable athletes have many chances to display their iron will and excellence as normal people.
Paralympics evolves from the competition participated by veterans with spinal cord injury. Now it involves more types of disabilities. The number of participants of athletes and countries are on rise. The 2008 Paralympics share the same slogan as the Olympic Games “One World One Dream”. While it emphasizes athletic spirit rather than disabilities, it also bring countries concerned for disabled people closer. In April this year, China and Spain just signed a cooperation accord to promote Paralympic sports.
In the run-up to the Paralympics in September, Chinese law makers have adopted a law amendment to better protect the country’s more than 83 million disabled. “Caring for the disabled is a sign of social progress, and is an important part of building a harmonious society,” said China’s top legislator Wu Bangguo at the meeting. “It showcases the country’s vowed respect to human rights in its constitution.” As it’s said that a criteria to judge whether a society is advanced or not is to see how its disabled people view it and how they are viewed in normal people’s eyes, I think China has far achieved progress. Before, disabled people were described as “canfei” in Chinese which contains a sense of disparagement, now the expression changes into “canji”, showing more respect and sympathy. Though still far from satisfaction, a lot of infrastructure has been built to benefit the disabled.
Chinese athletes did a marvelous job in the last Paralympics; hopefully they will give a perfect performance at home.

Have you ever connected the Olympics torch relay with Hitler? People usually regarded the origin of the torch relay was from the ancient Olympia. However in fact, it was ordered by Adolf Hitler, who tried to make the 1935 Berlin Games a celebration of the Third Reich. From then on, it stabilized its place in the Olympics. Today, it is a part of the symbolization of the spirit of the Games, carried in different ways and by different people.
To shock you more, even the popularity of the five interlocking rings was stirred by Hitler’s Games. They were designed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1913, for a 1914 World Olympic Congress in Paris. They were supposed to represent the first five Olympics, but the congress disbanded when Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo, resulting in First World War. Later Hitler adopted the rings and they have become a emblem the Olympics.
When I found out the fact, it did surprise me a little. Hitler did some contributions to the modern Olympic Games, which is hard to imagine.

The torch relay guarded by both police and Chinese men in blue-and-white tracksuits was disturbed in London, Paris and San Francisco. The protests were related to Tibet issue, which seems not easily to calm down in a short time. Wherever the torch arrived, Chinese there would get together to cheer it, though the torch might not be seen clearly.
The blue-and-white was called “thug” by some foreigners, but deemed “valiant and heroic” by Chinese media. What’s wrong here? These soldiers had been trained for a long time for what? For protesting the torch, the traditional symbol of the Olympics! I don’t know during the process, what they sacrificed, but I know they are worth of our praise. Isn’t it understandable to protest the torch in a serious way? Why they deserved the calling as “thug”? That’s not justified!
And the smash thing, there was no evidence and witness. Yes, I don’t deny there was possibility that it was committed by the two Chinese students. And I also can understand people’s worry about it. It was an unwise way to express national pride. But I think people should be tolerant about it, and judge China in a proper way. It is a special time for China, when many wicked plots are planning to kick off together to break the world peace. When there was no Olympics, China wasn’t a target of public criticism and people don’t really care so much about how China builds its socialism and improves its human rights. How about now? Chance is coming, when it becomes a spotlight. Its enemies won’t let it go by without any actions.
Please give peace to the Beijing Olympics and China!

Maybe because I don’t have enough guts, or maybe that part of my nature hasn’t been waken up, I’m kind of afraid of traffic, I mean, when I’m on a bike. That’s ashamed! Well, I can ride a bike at somewhere with few pedestrians and cars. But when it comes to a busy street, I would lose this ability. Usually I lose my calm and the bike swings. Isn’t it pathetic? God knows how much I enjoy the feeling of riding. So every time I see a bicycle messenger threading his way among alleys and heavy traffic in the American movies, I admire their flexibility and swiftness. That is way too cool! According to this article, I finally get to know the name of this awesome sport, if you don’t mind I call it a sport, that is, alley-cat race. What a vivid name! It’s not a easy game to play, though. You’ve got to have a full map of the city on your mind, proficient cycling skills and a lot of guts. Of course, as it mentioned, it is dangerous. Hard to keep yourself intact to the end. Sometimes you may result in hospital.
It is now an illegal underground race. What about making it legal? I’m serious. It will be plenty of fun, either for riders or audience. But it should take place with various obstacles on the way, not heavy traffic, which will make it secure. City cycling organization may consider this idea.
Hopefully someday I will overcome my phobia and become a free bicycle rider. What’s the last time when I rode a bike? Too long ago…

I’m not sure whether I could take life as easy as he does, if I lost both my legs and hands. And he even does wrestling and has ever won tournaments! His name is Dustin Carter, a high school junior. Due to a deadly blood infection, extensive amputations had to be carried out to save him when he was only five. It is lucky for him in a way, as it happened to him at an early age. Now he lives a normal life as anybody does, and also a life with stronger motivation than others’. He’s going to the state tournament. He wants to compete in the college as well.

He’s a miracle, as his family acclaimed. Miracles always accompany those whose strong will never gives up to difficulty. I guess this stubborn spirit, part of sportsmanship, is what people look for when they watch sports competitions. And that’s one of the reasons why we love sports and cannot live without it. We hope to inject our low spirit with courage and hope which enable us to move on. Every one is a competitor in life, in this “the fittest survives” society. Every day there are fierce competitions under way. Nobody is undefeatable. And it doesn’t matter if you lose any of them, but to fight again for dreams really matters. It is the fun part of life–failure is never the end of life.

The article argues that human rights in China suffer from oppression by the government, and the present situation gets even worse resulted from the coming Olympics. It also anticipates China will face with more issues posed by domestic and international organizations, so the Olympics may be overshadowed. The author holds a critical view towards China.
It makes me worried. I didn’t realize the international atmosphere around China has been nervous. Nor did I doubt the success of the Games. All the Chinese have expected it for so long a time. I’m not aware of the issue of human rights in China very much, except hearing the term occasionally. And I don’t either want to connect it with the Olympics. As the president of IOC, Jacques Rogge claimed “the Olympic Games should not be politicalzed”, I prefer to let sports be sports. I believe in this view, I’m not alone.
The Games bring development to China; meanwhile they expose many problems of it. Some advanced intellects would like to see that. Personally speaking, I think it’s god for the further improvement. China should have predicted it at the time it prepared for the bid. So it must take on the pressure and challenges coming alone. China might as well deem it as a “physical examination” which will enable its hiding diseases and take proper treatment.
Nevertheless, any activity unrelated to sports is undesirable to prevail on the Olympic stage and out weigh the Games.
Good Luck Beijing!

Elaine Joyce is always good at golf and has won many championships. Without doubt that she is superior to many men golfers. After succeeding in obtaining a membership from Forty Thieves and equal chance to play with men competitively in the past two decades, Joyce thought things for women golfers would have gone right. However, when she was going to participate in last May tournament at the Dennis Pines course, she was prohibited from competing. It is attributed to the fact that she is a woman and she can not play in men’s tournament. She has already taken a lawsuit against the town and the golf officials.
Well, it has been a hot and controversial issue in sports world that whether men and women can compete together. We also discussed it several times. In this case, I’m on Joyce’s side. Because I think if a sport is much more related to techniques than physical strength, it’s fair for everybody to compete no matter what gender of the participant. Just like equestrianism. What makes me angry is that even in daily course women can not enjoy an equal treatment but have to give way to men’s tournament play. Still we can see sexism in modern society though it decreases somehow.
Hopefully the federal court will give Joyce justice. Looking forward to that!

Salim Sdiri was hit by Tero Pitkamaki’s javelin when it was his turn to do the long jump during a Golden League meet in Rome. After this unprecedented accident, the two athletes’ sport careers diverged. Sdiri has got through a lot of pain and the shadow of it disturbs much his competition after recovery, while Pitkamaki finished his throwing that day and later won his first world championship. Sdiri is angry to Pitkamaki’s negligence over his injury.

According to I.A.A.F., the main cause to it is stadium configuration. And as there are inherent risks in throwing events, some have suggested that they should start when no other events are under way.

Now it’s critical time for Sdiri to resume his jumping career, as he hopes to qualify for the Olympics. No one would like to see such accident in sports. The organizers should consider more when holding competitions, especially related to security. It is truly fortunate for Sdiri that the javelin didn’t land higher. He’d better think it in this way more, so that he can move on with positive attitude toward life. The unexpected accident has happened and cannot be changed. Hopefully he could stage his performance in the upcoming Olympics.

As Beijing Olympics approach, intense efforts are put into different preparation work, like environmental and traffic issues, “civic index” and so on. Less occurrence of littering, spitting in public and queue-jumping has been achieved. Many measures have been carried out to improve Beijing residents’ manners, so that a good impression will be delivered to guests worldwide during the Olympics.

There are only a few months before the great event. Some problems, like packed buses and unenthusiastic audience, still exist and I’m afraid it’s not easy to handle them in such a short time. Even so, I hope the world will accept Beijing in such way by that time, because it is true Beijing, a city with large population most of whom are reserved. Holding the Olympic Games as to China, it’s a chance to showcase Chinese culture and people, a motivation to get rid of defects. We hope to grasp it to get all our Chinese united to build a better nation, but still we have to admit that it takes time to achieve this goal. Beijing has already done a good job.